Tractor guide



NOV. 28, E M|LLER TRACTOR GUIDE Filed Jan. 12, 1953 v ATVENTOR mvzss. Q I I BY I g 2 WORNEV Patented Nov. 28,1933

TES

5 UNITED-STA 1,936,946 7 TRACTOR euros Evans Miller, OnaWa, Iowa, assign or to Deere &

Company, Illinois Moline, 'Ill. a corporation of Application January 12, 1933. Serial N6. 651,261

4 Claims. (01; 919-49),

This invention relates to tractor guides, and more particularly to that type of tractor guide having a furrow following device 'disposed'in' lateral offset relation with respect to the tractor.

Because of thelateral positioning of the furrow following device in this type of guide, the ground resistance acting against the furrow following device tends to swing it rearwardly. and steer the tractor in the 7 corresponding direction, even device of the guide to swing the guide rear:

wardly is counteracted se that the guide is free to swing in either direction in following deviations in the furrow and'properly guide the tractor;

Another object of the invention is to provide a tractor guide having a laterally disposed furrow following device capable of being positioned ,.on either side of the tractor and provided with means for counteracting the tendency of the guide to swing rearwardly due to the ground resistance against the guide which is effective in both operating positions of the guide. j

Another object of the invention is to provide a guideeof this .generaltype wherein the means for 'counteractingthe tendency of the ground resistance against the ground engaging device to swingthe guide rearwardly alsofunctions to eXerta lifting force on the guide to aid in swing- .inglthe guide from one side of the tractor to the otheror to" an inoperative position. 1 we I The manner in'which' the above objects are accomplished is described and disclosed inthe following specification and accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention; 7 7 In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of the guide and tractor to which it is connected, only, a fragmentary portion'of the tractor being ,shown; Theguide is shown lowered to an operative position on one side of the tractor in full'lines, andon the opposite side indotted lines;

. Figure 2 is a front view of in Figure 1;:anol,

the structure shown Figure 3 is a sideview in Figure 1 withparts broken away for a better illustration.

The tractor T, fragmentarily illustrated in the drawing,-is of thetypecomprising alongitudif nallyextending body 10 supported on its'front of the structure shown end on a narrow iiirigibletwo-wheeled truck '11;

This truck comprises a'pairofwheels 12 and-13' mounted on theopposite ends of"-an axle'- "l4.f

Axle 14 is provided'with a central vertical spindle 15 which is journaledin a sleeve 16 depending from the front end of the tractor body 10; 1 r

, Suitable steering connections, 'not shown, are

made with the upper end of the spindle of the a truck for turningthe truck about for steering the tralctorjj M i p v a furrow following dea vertical axis The guide comprises vice 17 inthe' form of apairof disks 18 mounted on the outer end of anextensible beam 19 jour- 'naled for swinging 1 movement about a longitudinal horizontal axis on the forward end of .asteering arm 20 connected to the dirigible truck'fiof the tractor. Steering arm 20 is fixedly'connected,

to the bottom off the axle 14'between "the two 21. Arm 20 extends forwardly beyondthe pee "wheels of the truck by means of a-pair of bolts riphery of the wheels'12 'an'd 13of'the truck and at its forwardend a horizontal longitudinally disposed'bearing'24 is fixed'thereto by means of I Extensible beam 19 comprises'fazpipe' into which is 'telescoped a beam member '31.- Pipe'30 isconnected at its inner end byimeans of bolts to the laterally bentportion 36 of a spindle 37 whichcis journaled in bearing-24-.'..-. Spindle 37 is held in position in bearing 24.by means of a cotter pin 38. Disks 18 are fixedtoflbearings 5 41 journaled on the-outer end of beam member 31 in proper spaced relationship to bear against the "sides of a furrow wall. The position of the disks 18 laterally ofth'e'tractormay be adjusted by ,adjustingbeam.member3'1 inwardly or out wardly of pipe 30, the two being'h'eldin .any relativeposition of adjustment by means of bolt ,32 positioned in any one,of thespaced holes33 in the inner. end of beam member 31. To raise the beam 19 to a vertical inoperative position or to swing the beam from one side of the tractor to the other, I provide a lifting means in the form of a cable 45 whichis connected at one endto' a collar 46 fixed to the outer end of beam30. Cable 45 passes between a pair of rollers 47 and extends to the rear of the tractor within convenient reachof the operator. Rollers 47 are mounted on an inverted .U-shaped bracket 48 carried on the upper end of radiator housing 49 ofthe tractor and fixed thereto by means, of bolts 50; A guide member 51 in the form of a' longitudinally disposed shaft is fixed to the bracket 48just below the'plane of pulleys 47. Guide 51 serves to guide the flexible me ber lS between the, pulleys 4'7 in either lateral position of the guide. Bracket 48 is braced by means of a pair of upwardly extendingbrace rods 52 anchored at their lower end to the body of the tractor by means of bolts 53. v v

By reason of the disks 18 being a considerable distance'laterally of the turning axis of thesteering' truck 11, theground resistance against the disks tends to swingthe beam 19 rearwardly and steer the truck ll in a corresponding direction even though, the disks 18 be running in a perfectly straight furrow. This action would interfere with the proper operation of the guide if means were not provided tocounteractthis tendency; In the present design, to counteract this steering tendency, a'spring 55 has been provided. This spring is anchored at its outer end.

tractor and at a point forwardly of the spindle ofv such dimensions, it does not interfere with the 1 5. which constitutes the turning axis of the truck 11, and appreciably above bearing 24. By reason of such forward location of the eye 57 to which the inner end of spring" 55 .is connected, any i rearward swinging of the beam il9must occur at if the expense of a further tensioning' of spring 55 a By reason of this fact, thespring counteracts this. 1

tendency of the beam 19, to'beswung rearwardly. I make spring 55-of such dimensions that it will just balance the tendency of the beam 19 toi be swung, rearwardlydue to the ground resistance against disks 1% when the disks are traveling in a straight furrow and the tractor is'operated at an average speed With the spring swinging of the beam to steer the tractorcaused by the disks 18 following curvatures in the'ifurrow. a By reason of the'inner end of the spring being connected on a longitudinal, centerline of the tractor, it hasthe same effect to counterbalance thisturning tendency caused by the'ground resistance against the disks 18 regardless of which side of the tractor the beam 19 is disposed, that is, whether it be positioned as shown in full lines in Figure lot" in the dotted line position. Fur

thermore, since the inner end of spring 45 is connected at a point appreciably above the'arm- 20, it also exerts a lifting force on the beam 19 and thereby aids in raising the bearn to a vertical inoperative position or in swinging the beam from one side ofv the tractor-to the other.

What I,claim .is:, a l. The combination witha tractor comprising a longitudinally. extending body supported, at its front end on a dirigiblefltruok of a tractor guide comprising asteering arm fixed to said truck and extending forwardly therefrom, a laterally extending beam journaled on the forward end of said steering arm to swing about a longitudinal axis, a furrow following device carriedon theouter end'of said beam, means for swinging said beam about said longitudinal axis to dispose said furrow engaging device on either side of the tractor, a spring connected at one end to aid beam and at the other end to the bodyof the tractor at a point located on the longitudinal center line of the body forwardly of the turning axis of'said-truck. whereby said spring counteracts'the tendency of the ground resistance against said ground engaging device to swing said beam whereby said spring counteracts the tendency of rearwardly, said spring being sufficiently yieldable to permit said furrow following device to follow afurrow. y

2, The combination with a tractor comprising a longitudinally extending body supported at its ront end on a dirigible truck, of'a tractor guide comprising a steering arm fixed to said truck and f'the' other of said members, means connected to saidone of said members for swinging said beam about said longitudinal axis to dispose said fur-' row engaging device on either side of the tractor, and a spring connected to said one of said members and to the body of the tractor at a point on the longitudinal centerline of the tractor, forwardly of the turning axisof said truck, whereby said spring counteracts the tendency of the ground resistance against said furrow following evice to swing said beam rearwardly, said spring being sufficiently yieldable to permit said ground engaging device tofollow a furrow. p c

3. The combination with a'tractor comprising a longitudinally extending body supportedat its front end on a dirigible truck, of a tractor guide comprising a steering arm fixed to said truck and extending forwardly therefrom, a laterally extending beam comprising a pair of' extensible members, the inner end of one of said members being'journaled on the'forward end of said steer ing arm to swing about a longitudinal axis, a'furrowfollowing device carried onthe outer endof the other of said members, means connected to said one of said members for swinging said beam about said longitudinal axis to dispose said furrow following device on either side of the tractor, and a spring connected to said one of said members and to the body of the tractor at a point onthe longitudinal center'line of the tractor forwardly of the turning axis of said truck and above said longitudinal axis, whereby said spring counteracts the tendency of the ground resistance against a said furrowfollowing device to swing saidbeam 7 rearwardly and also exerts a lifting force on said beam aiding in swinging said beam aboutsaid I, longitudinal axis, said spring being sufficiently tosaid truck betw'eensaid wheelsand extending forwardly therefrom, a horizontally and longitudinally disposed bearing fixed on the forward end ofsaid arm, a member journaled in said bearing, said member having a rectang'ularly bent portion, a pipe fixed to said bent portioma beam member telescoping into said pipe, a furrow following device carried on the outer end of said beam member, a bracket fixed to the tractor body and extending forwardly of said truck and above said steering arm, and a spring connected between said bracket and the outer end of said pipe,

the ground resistance against said furrow following device to swing said beam rearwardly, said spring being sumciently yieldable to permit said, furrow following device to'followa furrow.

EVANS MILLER. 

